BOOKSL
ike many parents, Clare
Pollard found that having a
child brought her own
childhood back with sudden new
vividness. And for her, a big part of
childhood was picture books. She
began to assemble a collection for
her son—and to reflect on why these
books have meant so much to so
many pre-school children.
Fierce Bad Rabbits is the welcome
result of both activities. Mixing
history, family stories and thoughtful
discussion of much-loved works
such as The Gruffalo, The Snowman
and The Tiger Who Came to Tea, the
book is by turns enchanting and
highly informative. It also leaves us
no doubt that, as she says, “picture
books are not a minor form, but one
of the most important of all”.The form, it turns out, has a long
history. Picture books were around
in the 18th century—although
mainly for the purposes of moral
instruction. One especially fun-
sounding example consisted of 163
rules for good childhood behaviour,
including “Approach near thy Parents
at no Time without a Bow.” Even so,
Pollard identifies The Tale of Peter
Rabbit as ground zero for the picture
book as we know it today.
She also draws some fascinating
parallels between the books and
their author’s lives. The young EricPicture-Perfect
RD’S RECOMMENDED READ
Inspired by motherhood, Clare Pollard lovingly crafts a tribute to picture books
and their authors, family stories and favourite childhood book heroesFierce Bad Rabbits:
The Tales Behind
Children’s Books
by Clare Pollard is
published on August 1
by Fig Tree at £14.99124 • AUGUST 2019